End valve support



Jan. 2, 1945. J M ER 2,366,420

END VALVE SUPPORT Fil ed May 6. 1943 I v l v v .Irzvenfnr J'amesEManyer 4 I J Patented Jan. 2, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE END VALVE SUPPORT James F. Monger, Chicago, Ill. Application Mayfi, 1943, Serial No. 485,863

.5 iClaims.

' the character described in the preceding paragraph, comprising a pair of clamping jaws secured to the coupler supporting casting of the car, at their upper ends, and hingedly connected at their lower ends, whereby one of the jaws may be swung away from the other to permit placing the end valve of the steam line in position to be clamped between the jaws.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a broken front 'elevational view of the coupler supporting casting of a railway car illustrating my improved end valve support in connection therewith, the end valve sup-port being shown in front elevation. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the end valve support shown in Figure 1, illustrating in dotted lines the position of one of the jaws of the support when swung to open position to permit placing of the end valve to be clamped between the jaws of the device. Figure 4 is a side elevational view looking from right to left in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a bottom plan view, looking upwardly in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a topplan view, looking downwardly in Figure 4.

In said drawing I indicates a portion of the coupler supporting casting of a railway car. This casting, as is well known, is located at the end of the car and supports the coupler I I, the shank of which is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. Means is usually employed on railway cars to center the coupler and this is indicated generally by..I2. As shown in Figure 1, the casting I0 is provided with a bracket I3 at one side thereof having a depending arm or lug I4 to which my improved end valve support is secured. .Thelug I 4 is provided with a laterally elongated openingor slot l therethrough adapted to accommodate a securing bolt.

My improved end valve support comprises broadly a pair of clamping jaws A and B which arehingedly connected at their lower ends; and an anchoring bolt C by which the jaws are secured to the lug of the coupler supporting casting.

The jaws A and B of my improved end valve support, which are preferably in the form of castings, are of similar design, except as hereinafter pointed out. Each jaw, which is broadly of straplike structure, comprises a substantially vertically disposed upper end portion I6, as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, a downwardly and laterally outwardly inclined section I'I extending from said end. portion I t, a vertical sec-. tion I8 extending downwardly from said section 11, a horizontally disposed section I9 extending inwardly from the lower end of the section 58 at right angles to the latter, and a depending, vertically disposed short sectionZIl at the inner end of the section I9 at right angles to the latter.

The sections 15-; of the jaws A and B are disposed in parallel relation and are spaced apart to an extent to receive the arm or lug -14 therebetween, in embracing relation. The downwardly inclined sections or arms ll-I'I diverge outwardly and the inclination of each of said arms corresponds to the inclination of the corresponding upper side face 2| of the hexagonal portion of the usual end valve 22 of vthe steam line of the railway car, the arms ll-l'! being so spaced as to tightly embrace the faces 2I-2l. The right angular sections l8-I!i and I8-IQ of the jaws A and B fit the right angular edge faces 23 and 24 of the usual flanges 2525 of said end valve. The right angular portion of each jaw provided by the sections I fii 9 has a pair of laterally spaced parallel webs 25-46 on the inner side' of the jaw which engage opposite sides of the corresponding flange 25 of the end valve to hold the latter against longitudinal displace ment. Each jaw is preferably also reinforced on the outer side thereof by longitudinally extending webs 21-27, which are located at opposite sides of the same. The upper end portion or section I6 of each jaw has a lug 28 thereon which projects inwardly therefrom and is adapted to engage within the opening I5 of the supporting lug of the bracket !3 of the casting Ill. The lugs 2828 of the two jaws A and B are alternated so that they embrace the bolt C at opposite sides. The inner side faces of these lugs 28--28 are concaved to conform to the rounded shank of the bolt. Between the lugs 28-48 the sections I5I6 are perforated, as shown, to accommodate the shank of the bolt C.

The depending section 20 of the jaw A terminates in a bifurcated, outwardly extending hook portion 29 comprising laterally spaced arms 30-30. Each arm of the hook portion 29 comprises a horizontal section 3| and a relatively short upturned end section 32. The horizontal section 3| is substantially parallel to the section I IQ of the jaw, and the upturned end section 32 terminates some distance below the section 19 to provide clearance for the trunnion on the jaw B in the assembling of the device, as hereinafter described. The depending section 20 of the jaw B is provided with a right angularly projecting tongue 33 extending between the arms 33-30 of the hook portion 29 of the Jaw A. At the outer end, the tongue 33 is provided with laterally projecting trunnions 3434 which are supported respectively in the sockets formed by the bends in the arms 3330 of the hook 29. As will be evident, the jaw B is thus hinged to the jaw A in such a manner that it may be swung away from the jaw A and downwardly to the dotted line position in Figure 3, thereby opening the jaws to permit positioning of the end valve 22 to be clamped between the same.

In assembling the parts of my improved end valve support, the jaw B is brought into hinged engagement with the jaw A by seating the trunnions 3434 of the jaw B in the sockets formed by the bends of the arms 3B3ll of the hook 29, e jaw B being held in inverted position, that is, with the end having the trunnions uppermost. With the jaw B in the inverted position described, the trunnions are entered through the space be tween the section 29 of the jaw A and the upper end of the sections 3232 of the hook to register the trunnions with the socket portions of the hooked arms 3030.

The jaws A and B are secured tothe lug M of the bracket 13 of the coupler supporting casting by the bolt C which is engaged through the bolt holes in the sections IG|6 of these jaws and the opening I 5 of the lug.

In applying my improved support to the car in supporting relation to the end valveof the steam line, the jaw A with the jaw B hinged thereto and in the depending dotted line position shown in Figure 3, the lug 28 of the jaw A is engaged in the opening of the lug IA of the bracket I3. The jaws A and B are thus supported from the bracket I3 with the jaw A alongside the end valve 22 and the jaw B depending from the jaw A. The jaw B is then swung about its pivot to the full line position shown in Figure '1, thereby closing on the end valve and securely clamping the same against the jaw A. As the jaw B is being moved from the position shown in Figure 2 toward the position shown in Figure l, the lug 28 of the jaw B is forced into the opening l5 of the bracket 13, thereby supporting said jaw. The securing bolt C is themapplied to clamp the jaws together. i

As will be evident, the elongated design of the opening [5 of the bracket l3 permits of the required adjustment of the jaws A and B in a direction lengthwis'e of the steam line, to accommodate theend valve support to the position of the end valve.

To disengage my improved support from the end valve, all that is required is the removal of the bolt C and opening of the jaws of the device by swinging the jaw B to the depending position shown in the dotted lines in Figure 3.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim: I

1. In a support for end valves of a steam line of a railway car Provided with a perforated supporting lug, the combination with a pair of jaws adapted to surround the end valve of said steam line, said jaws being hinged together at their lower ends; of a lug on the upper end of each of said jaws, said lugs projecting inwardly from said jaws and being engaged in, and extending through the perforation of said supporting lug; and a bolt extending through said jaws and the perforation of said lug to support the jaws and clamp them together.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a pair of hinged jaws adapted to clamp the end valveof a steam line of arailway car therebetween, each of said jaws having a laterally, inwardly projecting lug at the free end thereof and a bolt receiving opening adjacent said lug, said lugs of said jaws bein at opposite sides of the bolt receiving openings thereof; of a bolt for securing said jaws together and anchoring the same to a support, said bolt extending through said openings of the jaws.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a jaw having an inwardly extending lug at its upper end and abolt receiving opening at one side of said lug;' of a second jaw having an inwardly extending supporting lug at its upper end and a bolt receiving opening adjacent said lug in alignment with the opening of said first named jaw, said lugs of said jaws being at opposite sides of the bolt receiving openin thereof, said jaws being hinged to each other at their lower ends; and a bolt for anchoring said jaws to a support, said bolt extending through the openings of said jaws and clamping said jaws together.

4. A support of the character described, comprising a pair of clamping jaws adapted to embrace an article to be supported thereby, said jaws being hinged together at their lower ends, the upper ends of said jaws being spaced apart, in parallel relation, and having aligned bolt receiving openings therethrough, each of said jaws having an inwardly projecting securing lu thereon of a length at least as great as the spacing between the upper ends of said jaws, the lugs of said jaws being at respectively opposite sides of the bolt receiving openings thereof, and a securing and anchoring bolt engageable through said aligned openings of said jaws to clamp the same together and anchor them to a supporting member.

5. A support for a steam line end valve of general hexagonal shape havin laterally projecting bottom flanges, said support comprising a pair of jaws anchored at their upper ends and hingedly connected at their lower ends, said jaws having inclined straight sections fitting opposite side portions of the hexagonal end valve, said jaws also having interior, laterally spaced webs below said inclined sections embracing said bottom flanges of the valve at opposite sides.

JAMES F. MONGER. 

